Rape-a-day tip of iceberg - Crisis Network

A woman has been raped almost every day this year, according to shocking new crime statistics released today.

However, the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI) insisted it is just a fraction of the real figure with on average only one woman in ten reporting such an attack.

In the first three months of the year 69 women told gardaí they had been raped, according to the Central Statistics Office.

It is however a massive drop on the same period last year when 110 women reported rape.

Fiona Neary, RCNI executive director, claimed victims’ confidence and faith in the gardaí, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the courts had been badly damaged.

“Public confidence in the legal system’s ability to tackle sexual offences has been rocked over the past year,” she said.

Ms Neary blamed the scandal surrounding the CC case when statutory rape laws were struck down by the Supreme Court over the defence of an honest mistake of age.

“The controversy following the CC case in May last year has not been fully addressed by Government,” she said.

“Inconsistent sentencing and recent judicial decisions have also caused widespread concern and debate. In Rape Crisis Centres across the country clients are telling us of the negative impact these and other events have had on their faith in the justice system.”

In all there were 198 sexual offences reported in the first three months compared to 683 for the same period last year – a drop of almost 45%.

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell expressed concern about the marked decrease in sexual offences in the latest headline crime figures.

He said it highlighted the need for the Government’s proposed constitutional referendum to clarify the law on unlawful carnal knowledge and reassure victims of sex crimes they would be fairly and humanely treated by the justice system.

Overall violent crime has fallen with the number of murders, manslaughter and serious assaults all down on last year.

In the first three months of the year, there were ten murders compared to 13 in the same period last year while assaults causing harm dropped by 10% with 893 attacks reported to the end of March.

Despite these drops the scourge of tiger kidnappings was in part to blame for a slight increase in the number of people being held hostage – nine abductions and 15 false imprisonments have been reported.

Mr McDowell said the controversial Criminal Justice Bill which has been passed by the Dáil would drive crime down even further.

“It is vitally important that we continue to build on the successes which have been achieved. The Criminal Justice Bill, when enacted, will be central to that strategy,” he said.

There were 25,776 headline crimes reported in the first three months – a 5.6% drop on last year.

While Mr McDowell warned about equating serious crimes such as murder and rape with lesser crimes such as thefts he noted there were reductions in 24 of the 40 crime categories.

Drugs crime increased with a 20% jump in the number of offences of possession for sale or supply over the 12 months to the end of March.

Headline crimes include 99 offences which include murders and manslaughter, assaults, rapes and sexual offences, arson, drugs offences, thefts, burglaries, robberies and fraud.